A Day Out at Lerderderg Gorge

Last weekend we headed out to Lerderderg Gorge for a reset.

It is just over an hour from Melbourne, but once you are down in the gorge it feels much further away. The track drops into dry, rocky country, with scrubby bushland, loose stone underfoot and long quiet stretches where the city starts to feel a long way behind you.

After the wet summer we have had, the river had real life in it. The ’Derg was teeming. We saw spiny crays tucked into the shallows, plenty of frogs, and all sorts of movement along the water’s edge. No trout, though.

We started early and followed the trail down towards the river. The morning was cool, then the sun started to hit the exposed sections and the walk changed completely. It is the kind of place that keeps shifting as you move through it. Narrow tracks, loose rock, steep edges and plenty of moments where you stop talking for a bit and just pay attention.

Lerderderg is easy to underestimate from the map. It looks close, simple and manageable. On the ground, it has more bite than that. Not in a dramatic way, but enough to remind you that you are properly outside.

We finished the walk dusty, a bit sore and very glad we had made the trip. The gorge has a real presence once you are in it. Rugged, quiet and close enough to Melbourne that it is easy to forget how good it is.

Mostly, it was just nice to get out for the day. No big agenda. No need to turn it into anything. Just a few hours away from the city, walking through dry country, following the track and letting the day unfold.